Door-latch.



A- B- GRUBER.

DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24. I915.

Patentfid Jan. 9', 1917. 2 SHEETa-SHEET mlm m Attorneys,

A. B. GRUBER.

DOOR LATCH.

APPLICATiON FILED NOV. 24. I915.

l ,21 1 A3? Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Witnesses Inventor y Attorneys,

THE cams Fsnm: co..puum1.1mv.. wAsnINamN. m:

UNITED. STATES ATE ARCHIBALD IB. GR'UBEB, OF SAN BEBN'ARDINO, CALIFORNIA."

DOOR-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 24,1915. s riaino. 63,271.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AROHIBALD B. GRUBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Bernardino, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented a new and useful Door-Latch, of

the. opposite sides of the door, whereby when either plunger is pressed or pushed, it will retract the latch bolt, to enable the. door to swing open easily.

The invention resides in the provision of novel means for mounting the plungers and for operatively connecting them with the latch bolt. 1 7

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a door latch having the characteristics above noted, and which at the same time, is comparatively simple and 111- expensive in construction, as Well as" belng convenient, practical and eflicient in .use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the'invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the 1nvention. g

The invention is illustrated in the panying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertlcal section of the device. Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sect ons taken on the lines 22 and 3-3, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating a modification, the door being omitted. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on theline 55 of Fig. 4, showing the lock applied to the door.

As illustrated, the device is employed in a mortise lock, although it is to be under stood at the outset that the several parts of the device may be made in various sizes accomsides of the door.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

to meet the requirements when used upon various locks and latch devices.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a case 1 adapted to fit within a mortise 2. in theedge of the door 3, said case having a face plate 4 attached to the edge of the door as usual. 7

A latch bolt 5 is slidable through the face plate 4, and is provided within the case 1 with a longitudinal slot 6 through which a screw or retaining element 7 extends, said screw being inthreaded engagement with one slde of the case 1, andhaving its head overlapping the opposite side of the latch bolt 5 to hold said latch bolt for sliding movement within the case. A coiled wire expansion spring 8 is disposed within the slot 6 between the screw. 7 and the romote end of the slot, whereby said spring normally projects the latch bolt 5 to snap into the keeper .(not shown) attached to the jamb of the door frame or casing. .7

The tailend of the latch bolt 5 has a reduced longitudinal rack 9 which meshes with an. elongated gear or pinion-1O having its ends trunnioned or pivoted to standards or lugs 11 provided within the case 1,. the pinion 10 being disposed transversely of the latch bolt 5. .The pinion 10 projects between a pair of'lugs 12 which are attached to one side of the case 1 at one side of the latch; bolt 5, and the adjacent sides of the sleeves 14. These knobs have bores 18 eX- tending to their remote portions, and counends of the plungers 20 have reduced threaded extensions 21 threaded into cylindrical members 22 slidable within the sleeves 14. The inner or adjacent ends of the members 22 have racks 23 projecting therefrom and at the opposite sides of and meshing with the pinion 10, as illustrated in Fig. 2, said racks 23 being of segmental-shaped cross section, and the flat sides thereof having the teeth which engage the pinion l0.

\ gear wheel 30 has an annular series of teeth Suitable numbers of washers 24 are disposed between the romote ends of the members 22 r and the shoulders of the plungers formed by the reduced extensions 21, whereby the remote ends of the plungers project the required distance from the knobs. This enables the device to be applied to doors of various thicknesses, since the plungers are adjustably carried by the members 22.

The parts can be readily assembled, and provide a compact and efiective arrangement.

Since the spring 8 normally projects the latch bolt 5, the pinionbeing rotated, will separate the members 22 so as to project the plungers 20. To open the door, the respective plunger 20 is pushed into the knob, when the knob is grasped, and this slides the respective members 22 correspondingly, so that the pinion 10 is rotated. The pinion 10 being rotated will retract the latch bolt 5, so that the door can be swung open easily, and without the necessity of rotating the knob as usual. It is to be noted that the latch bolt is retracted by pushing the plunger at either side of'the door, so that there will be no confusion in operating the latch bolt, and this isdesirable over latches embodying means at one side of the door which must be pushed to retract the latch bolt and means upon the opposite side of the door which must be pulled to retractthe latch bolt.

The structure illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is the same as the aforesaid structure with slight exceptions, the spring projected latch bolt 5 being slidable within the case 1 through the face plate L thereof, and the knobs 17 being attached to the outer ends of the tubular members 14: attached to the opposite sides of the case 1, the same as in the first form. The change lies in the operative connection between the bolt and racks 23 of the plungers 20 which are slidable through the lmobs 17 the pinion 10 in this case being disposed horizontally or longitudinally of and parallel with the latch bolt 5 above the same. The pinion 10 is mounted on a horizontal shaft 10 having its rear end journaled through the rear portion of the case 1, and having its forward end journaled in an inwardly projecting bearing 12 attached to one side of the case 1 above'the latch bolt 5'. The racks 23 mesh with the pinion 10 above and below the same, whereby when the plungers are pushed toward the door, the pinion will be rotated properly for retracting the latch bolt, the same as with the first form. In order to connect the shaft 10* and latch bolt 5 which has rack teeth 9 in its upper edge, a gear wheel 30 is journaled upon the bearing 12 behind the shaft 10*, and has peripheral teeth 31 meshing with the rack teeth 9. The inner face of the 32 projecting therefrom and forming a crown wheel meshing with a pinion 33 secured upon the shaft 10. Thus, when one plunger is pushed toward the door, the respective rack will rotate the pinion 10, so as to rotate the pinion 33 which in turn rotates the gear wheel 30. The gear wheel 30 being rotated will retract the latch bolt 5. In this form, the pinion which meshes with the racks is connected to the latch through the intervention of a gear wheel, whereas in the first form the pinion meshes direct with the rack of the latch bolt.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In a latch, a slidable latch bolt having a rack, a pinion connected to said rack, and

' a pair of opposite plungers having racks meshing with opposite sides of said pinion.

2. In a latch, a case, a slidable latch bolt therein having a rack, a pinion mounted within the case and connected to said rack, opposite sleeves having their adjacent ends attached to the case, and slidable members within said sleeves having racks meshing with opposite sides of said pinion.

3. In a latch, a case, a slidable latch bolt therein having a rack, a pinion mounted within the case and connected to said rack, opposite sleeves having their adjacent ends attached to the case, members slidable within said sleeves and having racks meshing with opposite sides of said pinion, knobs engaged upon the remote ends of said sleeves, and plungers slidable within said knobs and engaged-with said members.

4. In a latch, a case. a latch bolt therein, a pinion mounted within the case and connected to said bolt, opposite sleeves having their adjacent ends attached to the case, members slidable within said sleeves and having racks meshing with opposite sides of said pinion, knobs threaded upon the remote portions of said sleeves, and plungers slidable within the knobs and having threaded engagement with said members.

5. In a latch, a case, alatch bolt slidable therein, a pinion within the case connected to said bolt, a pair of opposite sleeves havtheir adjacent ends attached to the case, members slidable within the sleeves and having racks meshing with opposite sides of said pinion, knobs having bores, said knobs having counterbores threaded upon the remote portions of said sleeves, plungers slidable within the first mentioned bores of said In testimony that I claim the foregoing knobs and projecting therefrom, the adjaas my own, I have hereto aflFixed my signacent ends of the plungers having reduced ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

threaded extensions threadedly engaging 5 said members, and Washers disposed be- Witnesses:

tween said members and the shoulders R. W. Honms, formed by said reduced extensions. R. A. (3001:.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. 0.

AROHIBALD B. GRUBER. 

